A Tablesaw Primer: Ripping and Crosscutting

Proper techniques to help you make accurate and safe cuts

Synopsis: Though the tablesaw can be used to make many different cuts, it’s used mostly to make boards shorter or narrower. This article covers the essentials of ripping and crosscutting, as well as how good work habits produce smooth and accurate cuts safely and easily. From details on proper table setup and safety guards to preparing stock, the author makes these basic skills appealing. He gives multiple tips on avoiding kickback and ejection, as well as step-by-step directions on positioning boards and using fences and stop blocks for safety and efficiency.

With its flat, circular spinning blade doing the hard work, the tablesaw can make all sorts of cuts, among them grooves, dadoes, rabbets, and a variety of other woodworking joints. However, the tablesaw most commonly is called upon to do just two basic tasks: make wide boards narrower, a process called ripping, and make long boards shorter, a…

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest techniques and how-to from Fine Woodworking, plus special offers.